16 N Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIX, 
the same place or are distinct indications for different mints. 
Both these monograms have been considered as one by Mordt- 
mann (Z.D.M. G- 1854, p. 13, No. Te 1865, p. 398, No. 4; 
and 1879, p. 115, No. 4; p. 125, No 50); and he has pro osed 
the reading ASpahan. In the opinion of De Morgan (Revue 
Numismatique, 1913, p. 162, § 2) there is no strong reason for 
assimilating AS with ASP. He (p. 164) interprets “them :— AS 
for ASfabur and ASP for ASPahan (Ispahan). 
pix! Asfanabar is one of the seven towns of Trak, known 
as the towns of Kesra; its ancient name was probably yy -! 
Asfabur (see Barbier ge Meynard, Dictionnaire Geographique, 
Historique et Littéraire de la Perse, etc., p. 34). 
t possesses a grand royal portico, at present in ruins. It 
is rational to admit that this town having an .)!+ 1 divan had 
at the same time a mint. 
XI. A rare type of Drachm of Ardashir II]. 
Khusrau II (580-628) dispensed with the traditional globe 
surmounting the crow Z and adopted a peculiar form of w inged 
head-dress, which continued in use, with only two exceptions, 
to the end of the aac and was copied by the Ispehbeds 
of Tabaristan and the Arab Governors of Persia, down to the 
closing years of the seventh century of the Christian era. Buthis 
son, Kobad II (628), surmounted his crown with a crescent and 
globe instead of the two wings ; and this style was adopted by 
his son Ardashir III (628-630) in his first yearand during part of 
his second, after which the head-dress of Khusrau II was again 
adopted. ‘Only one coin of the early type of Ardashir II] of 
the first year has been published (see Thomas, Sassanians in 
Persia, Plate VII, Fig. 2), but none of the second. This coin 
bears the mint-monogram MR. 
ve in my cabinet 45 — of this rare type, 20 
of the first vear and 35 of the second. 
For illustration I have shochu only two specimens, one of 
the first year and one of the second. 
All coins of Ardashir il have the legend Artakhshatr 
afzun, “‘ Long live Ardashir ” and are dated the year -ayoki, 
‘“one’’ and talin, ‘‘two,” with the indication of the city of 
issue. Although the name of the king was correctly read so 
far back as 1854 by Mordtmann (Z.D.M.G., Vol. VIII, p. 142) 
and in 1858 by Dorn (Mélanges Asiatiques, Vol. II, October, 
1858, p. 463), it is ced oceans to find Thomas (Sassanians in 
Persia, p. 92, Plate VI, Figs 2, 3 and 4) reading it Awtahshat ; 
Drouin (Les Vasenaa des Monnaies Sassanides, p. 53) has also 
given the correct reading. 
This prince was seven years of age at the death of his 
father and reigned under the tutelage of Mihr Adar Gishnasp 
